Ridgway was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, after she was injured playing softball and went for routine X-Rays in 2011. Her fight against the disease, which necessitated the removal of parts of her leg, was chronicled by the New Haven Register in Sept. 2011.

Her passing elicited emotional reaction from the West Haven community, notably from Jesse Ridgway’s teammates like standout back Ervin Phillips, Eli Gaskins and Nyrell Moore, former teammates like Andre Gee, and Notre Dame-West Haven back Cameran Tucker.